by Architectural Observer | May 23, 2017 | Blog, Drag Queen Architecture, Observations
When I first photographed this small commercial building I was smitten with its Brutalist / Modernist vibe – not something one expects to find in an obscure corner of “flyover country”. I loved the concrete, oddball windows and corner emphasis. I...
by Architectural Observer | May 18, 2017 | Blog, Observations
Edina, Missouri, is one of those very rare towns that still retains a lot of its past and yet has not been gentrified into contrived quaintness. It’s loaded with surprisingly intact commercial storefronts facing the town square. Which is itself rather...
by Architectural Observer | May 14, 2017 | Blog, Observations
While found throughout the country, the Spanish Eclectic style was most popular in the Southwest and in Florida. Many examples were built between the 1910’s and the 1930’s. The style is frequently confused with the preceding Mission style and the roughly...
by Architectural Observer | May 7, 2017 | Blog, Drag Queen Architecture, Observations
With the proliferation of television programs devoted to house renovation (designed to sell products and stimulate the economy – not to instill a passion for history and actual cultural preservation) it’s not surprising that many formerly styled houses end...
by Architectural Observer | Apr 27, 2017 | Blog, Observations
Commissioned in 1965 by Lawrence Hyde, this house designed by Bruce Goff is located in suburban Kansas City. Because the house remains a private residence, I took photos only of the front which could be seen from the street. I’m fairly certain that the other...
by Architectural Observer | Apr 23, 2017 | Blog, Observations
Just a few random examples of some of the ways decorative concrete block has been used in the past for both ornament and privacy. These examples all probably date to the 1960’s: ...